On Perspective & Navigating Life

I mentioned in my last post that I've been feeling a little down on myself lately because my friends are doing exciting and unique things and I feel like I'm not really doing much of anything.

Then a funny thing happened.

Then one of the friends that I referred to in that post, the one who is moving across the country this week for a new job, told me that she disagreed.

In her eyes, I'm a person who is always eager to learn and enjoy life, and I actively pursue multiple passions – blogging, yoga, reading, my interview series, etc. Surprisingly, there are actually times that she feels envious of me. Since I live on my own, have a long-term boyfriend, and am enjoying my steady job, she looks at me as someone who is "set" and "has it together."

It's that difference in perspective that I found so interesting. I guess to a certain extent, I underestimate my accomplishments because I've become so familiar with them. But doing something or being somewhere for a long time doesn't diminish its value.

What I'm viewing as stable and possibly uninteresting – because of that familiarity – she's viewing as something to strive for. The hobbies or activities that have become a standard part of my life are seen as meaningful passions that I should be proud of.

Meanwhile, what she might consider indecisive or as ~still figuring things out~, I'm viewing as adventurous and brave.

Essentially, we discovered that we're a little envious of each other's lives.

It was strange hearing about my own life from another person's perspective, but it was also really encouraging.

Life comes in waves, we decided. Ebbs and flows. You'll have periods of stability. Then you'll hit a point where things will shift and change. You'll achieve something new. Settle in and enjoy it. After some time, when you feel ready to move on to something new again, do it.

Sometimes life will be stable, sometimes it'll fluctuate. The key is to take the waves as they come and to follow what feels right to you.

We can't put so much significance on what the people around us are doing. We can't let what other people are doing with their own lives dictate our actions and make us feel like we ought to be doing that too.